Tax breaks on hybrid and fully electric cars cost the Dutch treasury €500m last year, the Volkskrant reported at the weekend.

The benefits have been reduced since the beginning of 2014 because no-one anticipated they would be so successful, the Volkskrant says. For example, the financial advantages of buying a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV could mount up to €31,000 on a pre-tax dealer price of €40,000.

Last year, 22,000 hybrids and electric cars were sold in the Netherlands, many more than before the tax breaks were introduced.

In December alone, more than 2,000Volvo V60’s, almost 5.000 Mitsubishi Outlanders, over 700 Opel Amperas and 577 fully electric Teslas were bought as owners tried to beat the tax change deadline.